About cord blood banking

Choosing to bank your baby's cord blood is a relatively new decision for expecting parents, but cord blood banking is on the rise. Cord blood has the potential to save lives, so if you're currently planning your baby's birth, or may need to tackle this decision in future, here's some options and considerations for banking cord blood in Australia.

What is cord blood and how is it banked?

Cord blood is the blood that remains in a baby’s umbilical cord and placenta after the baby is born and the cord has been cut. Cord blood includes potent stem cells, which are considered to be the building blocks of the body.

Once the baby has been born and the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut, the remaining blood is drained into a special bag for potential use in the future for that baby - or it can be donated. The cells are then frozen at a cord blood bank.

“Tests so far indicate that cells remain the same as when they were first frozen after 23 to 24 years, so as far as we know it’s indefinite,” he says.

Reasons for banking cord blood include having a family history of disease, or having a baby of an ethnic minority or mixed ethnicity where it may be difficult to find a suitable donor. Currently, more than 41,000 Australians have banked their cord blood.

“Around 1 per cent of mums currently choose to store their baby’s cord blood, which is very low,” says Professor Kirkland. “In Australia, we have one of the lowest rates in the world. In Singapore, for example, the rates are over 20 per cent.”

What are the benefits?

Currently cord blood is only licensed in Australia to be used for transplantation in cases of leukemia and autoimmune diseases. However, current research and trials are investigating the possibilities of using cord blood in the treatment of cerebral palsy, type-1 diabetes, spinal cord injuries or the repair of diseased or damaged tissues.

So how often is cord blood actually used?

“For current uses, it’s calculated at around 1 in 2000 or 1 in 3000, depending on the condition. For future uses, it would be around one in 200,” says Professor Kirkland.

While privately banked cord blood is generally intended for the baby is was collected from, it can also be used by a child’s sibling or other close relative, provided it is a match.

Public v private

There are two options for cord blood banking in Australia – public and private.

Public: Parents can opt to donate their baby’s cord blood to a public bank which is then made available worldwide through a donor network. Public cord banking is free.

Professor Kirkland says that if couples don’t bank privately then he does encourage public banking, however there are limitations.

“The worst thing is to throw it away, however the availability of public banking is very limited,” he explains.

Collection only takes place if the baby is delivered during normal working hours and there are only 11 hospitals in Australia which collect blood for the public bank. Currently Victoria, NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory are the only states that provide this service. Not all collected samples are banked either – factors such as family history of certain conditions and bacterial contamination are taken into account.

“Donating cord blood makes it available for anyone’s use but it can’t be used by you. And for a lot of these new treatments for diabetes and cerebral palsy the requirement is for the child’s own cord blood to be used,” adds Professor Kirkland.

Private: Storing cells privately means that they are a perfect match for your baby, and cells can be collected at any time at the majority of hospitals across Australia. But the cost can be quite prohibitive.

The fee for private cord blood banking is around $3000, which includes storage for up to 18 years. However, depending on the bank, you may have the option to pay in installments.